Drag made her the man she is today

Envy (she/her/diva-in-drag)

“Every wig has its story.” These are the words of Envy Peru, winner of Drag Race Holland 2020, as she shows the IKEA team around her home and dressing room. Art, collected and created, dot the entire house. Fridge magnets that she, her partner, and her mother collected tell the stories of places they’ve been. A Betty Boop doll, found in a local shop shimmers in the corner, an Envy-bedazzled testament to the golden days of glamourous female energy.

But Envy’s story didn’t start here. She moved to The Netherlands, as Boris, with her mother and aunt at four years old. 30 years later, this Peruvian native calls Amsterdam home.

Coming out 


At 21, Boris came out to his mom. “I knew what I was, but was still in the closet,” she explains. Living in a tiny town 20 minutes from Amsterdam was the difference between night and day for someone gay. Boris couldn’t express himself but didn’t know why. When he came out to his mom it was totally unplanned. “We had an argument about something, and I just threw it out, ‘I’m gay!’”

Being a Latin-American mom, she definitely didn’t accept it. This fact was strange to Boris because apparently his auntie already knew. In fact, everyone knew. Envy thinks his mother’s denial came down to education about the topic. The idea of her son not getting married and bringing her grandchildren was crumbling. In Peru, she had heard about LGBTQIA+, but it came as a shock when it was her own child. Over time, she accepted it and became fully supportive. That calm lasted until she got a new shock: that Boris wanted to be a drag queen!

Drag

Envy’s drag journey started with two sisters. They were called the Mermaids Mansion because they were the prettiest queens in Amsterdam (in Envy’s opinion). They won the Super Bowl, an Amsterdam drag competition, on their first try, and made a name for themselves in the Dutch drag community. To this day, many people see a self-confident, colourful drag queen who may or may not be a little loud in personality—and voice. But behind Envy is a person, not a persona. 

Love story

Envy found love with Andy, a UK expat who dabbled in drag. “My boyfriend he was really there from the beginning. He moved to Amsterdam seven years ago as he was also into drag. That’s where our common interest came from.” However, for Andy, drag was just for fun and he eventually stepped out of it. But he remained in Envy’s life and understood drag in a way that others don’t. Envy feels that many people love the art form, but only see it as a stereotype. Andy, as a partner, sees him for who he is. 

Challenges and hate

One night in June of 2023, Boris was heading home on a bus. A group of men targeted Boris with hateful words, taunts, and eventually violence. This assault was the sad realisation that Amsterdam—the place she calls home—is not as progressive as it’s imagined to be. The violence took an emotional toll and led her to somewhat hiding her complete self when out in public. However, over time and with the support of Andy, she’s healing. Although she’s still protective of keeping private in some ways. As hard as the bullies tried, “they didn’t kick the gay away”, proclaims Envy.

Love at home

Home is Envy’s happy place. It’s a sanctuary of love and self-expression. When she first came out and her mom didn’t get it, Envy found a home with friends who accepted her when she first came to Amsterdam. Now, she and Andy have made a safe, loving home of their own where they always feel safe and secure. And best of all, Envy’s mom is now her biggest fan!